Sunday 29 April 2012

At 17, I knew the truth...

by Teri Terry
Almost celebration time!!
Slated launches in the UK on the 3rd of May with Orchard Books! Getting to this place – published author – has been a bumpy road. I've seen Dear Me and Dear Teen Me, where contributors write a letter to their teenage selves with advice. I think my younger self could tell me a thing or two. My 17 year old self has kindly offered to interview me about what took so long...


Me: 17, hand from teleporter
reaching for shoulder....
Yeah, right. I was minding my own business when suddenly I got yanked into a teleporter for an ABE. Who the hell are you? What is an ABE?

An ABE is an Author Blogging Emergency. And I’m… you.

Get out of here. <circles around, eyes up and down: looks unimpressed>

Really, honest. Just a few years into the future: one day, you’ll be me.

Decades, don’t you mean? And what’s with the accent? <runs to the window> Toto, this doesn’t look like Canada anymore.

We live in England now, and –

Wait a minute. Did you say ‘author’? We are an author? <claps hands> How many best sellers have we had? Are we famous?

Um, well, you see, <picks up copy of Slated, holds it up> this is our first book. It’s out on Thursday.

What took so long? We decided to be a writer forever last summer!

Well, yes. About that. It’s taken a while to, you know, get going with it <shuffles  feet>

What have we been doing all these years?

You know, going to university, studying stuff. Working. Took science and law but the law thing wasn’t really the deal. Moved to Australia and became an optometrist, and then –

Australia? <looks out window at grey skies, pouring rain> What are we doing here then?

Married an English guy.

We’re MARRIED? No way. You didn’t change our name, did you? <looks at book cover> OMG. You DID. We’re TERI TERRY now? Are you insane?

Well, as a name it is hard to forget. And I DID do what I said I would do that summer: I wrote! Actually Slated is my ninth novel.

You said it was our first.

First to be published.

Did the others all suck, then?

Well, no, I don’t think they sucked, exactly. But I was learning how to write, finding the right story to tell…

What about Slated, then? Is it any good? <examines book suspiciously> Cool cover, I suppose. She looks kinda freaky. What’s it about?

Well there is this girl, Kyla, who has been Slated. She’s a criminal, or she was one I mean: a terrorist. So the government stole her memories away, and –

You really need to work on that. Geez. <rolls eyes; reads cover blurb> How about this: "Imagine waking up one day and not knowing you are, where you come from; what crimes you committed to have this done to you. Then the past whispers that it is all a lie…"

That’s pretty good. Do you want to stay? You could do all my blogs! That’d be great!

What’s a blog?

You know, websites where people say stuff. On the internet.

The inter-what?

Um, sort of like computers linked up, all over the world. You can talk to people on it, too.

So basically, you've stuffed around for years and years before you finally wrote a book that was any good, and now you stuff around on blog thingys on the inter-wotsit.

<squirms> That's pretty much it. 

Are we at least having an awesome launch party for the book? What are we wearing?

A big party, yes! But haven’t quite worked out wardrobe yet… <holds up a dress> Maybe this one?

(long pause)

You CAN’T be serious. <walks to wardrobe, paws through and chucks clothes on the floor> Right. Before you send me back, we’re going shopping.

While Teri is off shopping with her 17 year old self, please enter to win a copy of Slated, over at the Demention giveaway here, or on GoodreadsShe's also found the time for a few interviews and blogs, listed on her website, here


For some advice in the other direction to a teenage self, see Candy Gourlay on Dear Teen Me, here. She's a little more serious.

18 comments :

  1. Great post, Teri! Just goes to show that good things do come to those who wait (and keep trying!) Good things come to those who wait! Happy shopping....

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  2. Great dialogue. It's amusing seeing you channeling your seven-year-old self and focusing on the contrast between her and yourself today.

    Your books sounds interesting. Nice premise.

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  3. Great eighties flashback - did your 17 year old self talk you into big hair and shoulders for the launch party?

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  4. I don't know why you bother writing dark novels ... you're very funny. You should be doing stand-up in smokey pubs!

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    1. I've got an advanced case of Launch Brain just now. I just can't seem to be serious for more than about a minute at a time...

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    2. The perm looks really good btw!

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    3. maybe should get one for Thursday? to go with the shoulders pads

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  5. Don't let her choose, Teri - it's going to have BIG shoulder pads!

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    Replies
    1. not that there's anything wrong with that :O)

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  6. I actually think you've packed a lot in since 17 - what with all the different countries and stuff!

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  7. I don't think my seventeen your old self would have shut up enough to let me get a word in edgeways - well done on all counts Teri!

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  8. Hah! Great idea for a post! And 9 books... WOW! Congratulations on such a big moment for you, after years of hard work!

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  9. LOL - very funny and entertaining. You've made me smile this morning :)))

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  10. I think my teen self would be very surprised to see what I'm up to and would tell me off for not starting sooner.

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    1. Great blog Teri! My teen self says 'So your school reports suck as always ... Tries hard, but lacks confidence'. So what's changed? Well I keep on trying, sometimes the confidence gets knocked, but hey ho, I'm still enjoying all the success of my amazing Scoobie friends. Enjoy Thursday Teri

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  11. Brilliant post, made me chortle! And best of luck with Slated. Sounds interesting. Ninth novel? You're an inspiration. Go get 'em!

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  12. Congratulations, Teri! On the book and the blog. I hope you will do a follow-up in five years time showing her your shelf of bestsellers!

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